Senior Center News
By Chris Joyce
Fall is here, and this time of the year we begin digging out the boots, sweaters, scarves, coats, and everything else we need to keep the coming chill away. The cold wet weather & dark mornings make it tempting to stay at home rather than get up & come to exercise class. With that being said, we remain very busy here at the Senior Center and participation in our activities is strong. Some of the islanders that worked during the summer are now rejoining our ranks & of course we are sadly saying good-bye to some of our summer comrades. We encourage all seniors to join in any of our programs; bring a friend, encourage your neighbor, or whatever it takes. We are a group of some of the most active seniors in the county. Let’s keep it up!
We had several special events in September including with our annual road race picnic. We had a great turnout & lots of delicious food! A huge shout out goes to Barb & Doug Mehling for opening their beautiful property to the Seniors to picnic & watch the races. We also took a group of seniors to the mainland to tour President Rutherford B. Hayes home & museum in Fremont and enjoyed lunch in their auditorium.
October brings more fun activities: Our annual Fall Potluck Luncheon is scheduled for Tuesday, October 11th at, 11 a.m. Everyone is invited to bring a dish to share, the Senior Center will provide apple cider. Then on Monday Oct. 17th, Debbie Parker will be here to do a program on Estate Planning. Finally, on Oct. 31st, the Senior Center will be open from 6 to 8 p.m. for all the Island Trick-or-Treaters. Seniors bring the treats & parents bring the kids. Costumes are encouraged for all!
Our Senior Lunches continue every Monday at Topsy’s at 12 p.m. Please make your reservation by 12 p.m. the Friday before by either signing up at the Senior Center or calling the center at (419) 285-5501. It’s important we let Topsy’s kitchen know the lunch count by 12 p.m. Friday so they can plan accordingly for our senior lunches!
Remember to check the bulletin board at the Senior Center, as well as, the calendars posted at the Senior Center, Island General Store, Hardware/Market, Post Office, Twp. Office, and the Library for a schedule of the Senior Center’s activities. Flyers for any last-minute events that are not planned far enough in advance to get them on the calendar in time for this publication will be posted at the Post Office.
The EMS continues to take Blood Pressures every Monday at 10 a.m., this is a great service they provide so feel free to get yours checked. The “60+ Clinic” is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 27th. This free health clinic is put on by the Ottawa County Health Dept. for those 60 and older. If you would like to take advantage of this free program, please call the health department at 419-734-6800 to make your appointment. It provides basic services to people such as blood pressure screening, blood tests for anemia, blood sugar and cholesterol screening, weight and diet information, health and medication counseling/education at no charge. Through a comprehensive assessment, a nurse will answer any questions and provide education or referrals to private physicians if needed.
I’d like to give a shout out to all our seniors for both their participation and suggestions, as well as volunteering to assist in all our activities. Nothing goes unnoticed and all is truly appreciated.
The previous piece is published in this month’s Put-in-Bay Gazette. The Gazette has been producing incredible independent Put-in-Bay island news for over 40 years. If you have any interest at all in what is happening on South Bass Island, we urge you strongly to subscribe to the Put-in-Bay Gazette. One-year online subscriptions are only $15, and print subscriptions are available as well. To subscribe please click here.